1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to an apparatus for signaling, and more particularly, to a portable, water resistant apparatus which can be illuminated and used for signaling a vehicle, such as a taxi.
Attracting a taxicab in any major metropolitan area, especially on a dark and rainy night, is fraught with difficulty. No pedestrian wants to run out into the street to attract a taxicab, but this potentially dangerous movement is often necessary because the pedestrian cannot be seen by the moving taxicab from the safety of the sidewalk. Therefore, there is a need for a method by which a pedestrian may safely and reliably signal a taxicab.
This need is not restricted to a dark and stormy nights but arises during the daylight hours as well, when a pedestrian does not wish to run into traffic to attract a taxicab, but would rather summon a passing vehicle from the sidewalk. Thus, the signaling device must have signaling indicia which are visible during both the daylight and evening hours.
In such a situation there is a need for the signaling device to be highly visible, portable and lightweight so that it may be easily carried in a handbag or a briefcase, and it must also be water resistant, so that it will function in rainy weather.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Presently, the known signaling devices that have partially addressed this problem are hand-held, bulky signs used to direct traffic or to warn motorists, such as those disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,799,854, 4,042,919, 4,090,186 and 4,235,033. These devices are typical of the prior art, which teaches hand-held signs which are much too large to be carried in a handbag or briefcase, but are, for example, suitable for use by a crossing-guard or law enforcement officer as a traffic safety device. Some attempts have been made to provide a specific taxi signaling device, as described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,461,448 and 4,601,120. However, these disclose, respectively, a cumbersome device for attachment to a pole or an umbrella, and a sign made out of flexible material for affixation directly to the material of an umbrella (use of the sign without the umbrella would be very difficult, as it would require two hands by virtue of the sign's flexible nature).
Therefore, the failure of the prior art to deal adequately with these problems demonstrates the existence of a long-standing need to provide a highly visible, portable, lightweight and water-resistant signaling device which can be easily carried in a handbag or briefcase.
It is, therefore, an object of this invention to provide a signaling device which is highly visible in the light or dark.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a signaling device which is portable.
It is another object of this invention to provide a signaling device which is lightweight.
It is also an object of this invention to provide a signaling device which is water-resistant.